Officials: Experience with public power will help municipalization effort

The firms the city has hired to help with its analysis of potential municipalization have extensive experience in dealing with public power companies.

"The focus of the utility we are considering is significantly different from those of most electric companies operating today, and we couldn't be more pleased with the level of expertise we have assisting us," said Heather Bailey, executive director of energy strategy and electric utility development, in a press release.

Public Financial Management, which has a $70,000 contract with the city, has a Public Power Group whose clients account for 75 percent of the population receiving energy from a public utility. As a firm, PFM has completed nearly $84 billion in public power financing transactions since 1984, according to city officials.

Schneider Electric, whose contract is worth $40,000, is an international company that focuses on energy management. It manages more than $30 billion in energy spending for more than 4,500 clients and thousands of facilities. It helps companies in the areas of energy procurement, sustainability consulting, energy efficiency, energy risk management, rate analysis and demand response services.

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